Arrangement for facilitating the adjustment of lamps



A Mar.3.1925.- 1,528,137

' s. G. WARNER ARRANC'JIIIMEIXT FOR FACILITATING THE ADJUSTMENT OF LAMPS Filed' Ma'rcn 1, 1920 l'l-STQUMENTS.

Y Patented Mar. 3, 1925. y

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. e

SELDEN G. WARNER, OF WEST ORANGE, NEXV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THOMAS A. EDISON, INCORPORATED, OF TWEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

ARRANGEMENT FOB. FACILITATING THE ADJUSTMENT OF LAMPS.

Application led Marchv 1, 1920.

To aZZ whom t may conce-m.'

Be it known that I, SELDEN G. TVARNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of fest Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arrangements for Facilitating thel Adjustment of Lamps, of which the following is a description.

My in-vention relates to' arrangements for facilitating the adjustment of lamps, and more particularly to an improved construction and arrangement the principal object of which is to enable a lamp, such as an in* candescent lamp, to be readily and accurately adjusted to bring its illuminating cen. ter or filament to any desired position with,I respect to the lamp mounting.

More specifically described, my invention resides in the combination of a support in which a lamp is adjustably mounted and means providing one or more lines of sight, but preferably two such lines of sight intersecting at a point which when the support and means are properly associated, corresponds to a predetermined point with respect to such support.

My invention also resides in a novel form of gauge or device having means providing one or more lines of sight, but preferablytwo such lines of sight, and which is adapted for use in connection with a lamp supporting device or fixture to enable a lamp mounted in the latter to be readily positioned as desired.

While susceptible of many other applications, my invention is especially designed for use in connection with the type of adapter or fixture described and claimed in my copendin application Serial No. 360,697, tiled'. Fe ruaryf'24, 1920, and entitled lamps, with the objectA of enabling a lamp mounted in such an adapter to-be readily and accurately adjusted to and locked in a predetermined position with respect thereto prior to the application of the adapter to the lens in conjunction with which it is designed to be used, whereby when the adapter is subsequently applied to said lens, the illuminating center or filament of the lamp will without further adjustment of V the lamp in the adapter, be positioned at a Serial No. 362,233.

lsection, of the improved gauge or focusing device, shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the base of the lamp-supporting bracket of the adapter or lamp-supportmg device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a part sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view, partly broken away, showing the manner in which the adapter or lamp-supporting device of the arrangement shown in Figure l is designed to be associated with the lens in conjunction with which the same is intended to be used.

Referring to the drawing and especially to Figures l and 2, my improved gauge or focusing device comprises a base 1 and a standard 2 extending upwardly from the base and drical opening 3 extending therethrough and with an upstanding flange 1 surrounding such opening, and the standard 2 is rovided at its lower end with a cylindrica portion 4 and a flange just above the latter and forming a shoulder 4. The cylindrical lower end portion 4 of the standard 2 is inserted and lits tightly in the opening 3 of the base 1, and when the standard is properly applied to the base, the shoulder 4 is seated on the upper edge of the flange 1 of the base. The standard 2 is provided with a cylindrical opening or passage 5 extending therethrough axially thereof, and cylindrical flanged members or plugs 6 are forced into the ends of the opening 5 with a tight fit until the flanges thereof res ectively abut the ends of the standard 2. e plugs 6, 6 are each provided with a very in aci accurately made central sight opening 7 so that when the plugs are mounted in the ends of the standard 2 as described, said sight openings will be in exact alignment, thereby 5 providing a line of sight A, A extending through the standard 2. Two arms 8, 8 are rigidly secured at their lower ends to the upper end portion of the standard 2 in any suitable manner as by means of the screws S, S. The upwardly extending portions of the arms 8, 8 curve outwardly away from the standard, the arms being so attached to the standard that the said upwardly extending cur-ved portions will be diametrically opposed. The arms 8, 8 adjacent their upper ends, are respectively provided with very accurately made aligned sight openings 9, 9, thus providing arline of sight B, B, the construction preferably being such that the lines of sight A, A and B, B intersect at a point F preferably substantially midway between the arms 8, 8 and above the standard 2. The base 1 of the standard is preferably formed with three radially extending arms, said arms being preferably equispaced. Each of the radially extending arms of the base 1 is preferably provided adjacent its ends with an upstanding boss 10 having a cylindrical recess or socket 10.

The attachment or adapter in connection with which the gauge described above is used in the arrangelnent shown in Figure 1, consists of a frame or fixture comprising a suitable rigid supporting member, shown herein as a ring 11, and a plurality of substantially rigid rods or legs 12 connected at one end to the supporting member or ring 11 and preferably free at the otherend, and a lamp support preferably formed integrally with the supporting member or ring 11, while any number of legs or rods 12 in excess of two may be employed in the type 0f adapter or attachment shown, 1 preferably employ three such legs and preferably connect the same to the ring or supporting member 11 at substantially equispaced points. It is thus apparent that the frame comprising the supporting member 11 and legs 12 constitutes a tripod. The rods or legs 12 are preferably, though not necessarily, rigidly secured or fixed at one end to the ring or supporting member 11. 'Vhen so fixed to the supporting member 11, the rods or legs 12 employed are slightly resilient, are preferably, though not necessarily, of substantially the same length and are preferably atttached to the supporting member so as to diverge in a direction away from such member. Where the attachment or adapter is designed t-o be applied to or used in conjunction with a corrugated spherical lens 30 such as used in railway signalling and commonly known as a semaphore lens, as shown in Fig. 5, and the rods or legs 12 of the adapter are rigidly fixed lamp preferably comprises an L-shaped bracket 15 attached to and preferably formed integrally with the supporting member or ring 11 and suitable means on the base 16 thereof for supporting a lamp, such as a low-voltage incandescent lamp 17 having a small coil filament 18. The base 16 is preferably formed of slightly resilient material and is split or kerfed longitudinally and substantially centrally thereof as shown at 19. Intermediate the ends of the split or kerf 19, the base 16 of the bracket 15 is provided with a ball socket 20 in which is mounted'a ball 21 formed of slightly resilient material having a preferably central cylindrical opening 22 extending therethrough and provided with a split or kerf 23. The base 16 of bracket 15 is preferably substantially parallel to the axis of the tripod and the axis of the socket 20 extends transversely of and preferably substantially at right angles to the axis of the tripod. The cylindrical lamp stem 24 through which the leads 25 and 26 extend, is mounted in and extends through the cylindrical opening 22 in the ball 21. The base 16 of the bracket is provided with opposed lugs 27 and 28 at the outer end of the split or kerf 19, and a bolt 29 extends loosely through the lug 27 and is threaded into the lug 28. On sufficiently tightening bolt 29, the lamp stem 24, ball 21 and bracket 15, will be rigidly locked together against all relative movement. When the bolt 29 is loosened, however, the lamp 17 is universally adjustable with respect to the bracket 15 and supporting member 11, for it may then be pivotally moved in any direction and by reason of the engagement of the lamp stem 24 in the opening 22 of the ball 21, the lamp mayalso be turned and moved longitudinally in either direction in the ball.

When my improved gauge is designed for use in connection with an adapter or attachment such as just described, and which is intended subsequently to be applied to a lens such as the semaphore lens 30 as shown in Figure 5, the same is so formed that certain oints thereof, such as the recesses or soc ets 10 in the construction shown, respectively correspond to certain points of the lens, such as portions of the outermost annular groove 31 of the lens shown, so that when the adapter is properly associated with or applied to the gauge with certain parts thereof, such as the ends of the legs l2 of the adapter shown, in firm engagement with said points of the gauge, the supporting member or ring 11 and the bracket 15 thereof will occupy a given fixed position with respect to such points corresponding to the position they occupy with respect to the lens when the adapter is applied to or associated with the latter in proper position with respect thereto. The line or lines of sight provided by the gauge will obviously have a fixed position or positions with respect to the gauge and will correspond to a given line or to given lines respectively fixed with respect to the lens. Preferably the line of sight A-A corresponds to the axis of the lens, and where two intersecting lines of sight are provided by the gauge such as the lines of sight A-A and B-B, such lmes of sight are preferably at right angles to each other and the point of intersection F thereof preferably corresponds to a focal point of the lens such as the back focal point thereof.

In usin the specific arrangement shown,

the a apter is first applied to the gauge by forcing the legs 12 thereof towards each other and seating the free ends thereof in the sockets 10 so that they firmly engage the bottoms of the sockets. The upper portions of the arms 8 of the gauge are' so formed as to readily accommodate the bulb of the incandescent lalnp 17 therebetween. The screw 29 is now loosened so as to permit adjustment of the lamp 17 in the adapter, and the lamp is then adjusted so as to bring the filament 18 thereof at the intersection F of the lines of sight A-A and B-B. This may readily be accomplished by holding the gauge with the adapter applied thereto in the hand, sighting along the lines A-A and B-B, and moving the lamp with respect to the base 16 until the filament 18 is brought to the desired intersecting point F. The lamp is also preferably so adjusted that the filament 18 extends in the direction of the line of sight B-B, which as stated above is preferably at right angles to the line of sight A-A, and is crossed by the line of sight A-A substantially midway between the ends thereof. The lamp is then locked in adjusted position by tightening the screw 29. The adapter is then removed from the gauge and applied to the lens 30 by springing the legs 12 thereof inwardly and seating the free ends of the legs firmly in engagement with the walls of the outermost annular groove 31 of the lens. The adapter may now be firmly secured to the lens by tightening the ring of the usual bezel (not shown) in which the lens is mounted, thereby firmly clamping the resilient projections 14 between the shoulder of the bezel and the peripheral portion of the lens. It will Abe apparent that when the adapter is so applied to the lens 30, after the adjustment of the lamp 17 therein as above described, the filament 18 of the lamp will be disposed at the back focal point of the lens and substantially parallel or broadside to the latter.

Decided advantages are obtained by the employmentof my invention in connection with the adjustment of incandescent or other lamps mounted in adapters of the type shown, and which are designed to be applied to or associated with the lenses of railway signal or other lanterns. It enables these lamps to be readily and accurately adjusted to bring the filaments or illuminating centers thereof to given fixed positions with respect to the adapters, for example, to positions corresponding to the back focal points of the respective lenses with which the same are designed to be used, prior to the application of the adapters to such lenses, so that when the adapters are subsequently applied to the lenses the filaments or illuminating centers of the lamps will be located exactly at the points desired with respect to the lenses. Moreover, vmy invention enables such adjustment of the lamps to be performed in daylight without the necessity' of i lighting the lamps and at points remote from the signal or other lanterns in which the lamps are intended to be used. For example, where the lamps are intended for use i1 railwzw signal lanterns, this adjustment mav be made in railroad shops.

While I have specically described my invention in connection with the adjustment of incandescent lamps mounted in adapters designed to be applied to the lenses of railway signal lanterns, it is to be understood that the same also has many other applications. Furthermore, my invention contemplates a construction in which the means providing the line or lines of sight for facilitating the adjustment or focusing of the illuminating center or filament of the lamp, is permanently associated with t-he lampsupporting means.

Thile I have shown and described the preferred arrangement in accordance with my invention, it is to be understood that the same is subject to numerous changes and modifications without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A device of the character described, comprising abase and a standard projecting from saidQbase and having means providing two intersecting lines of sight, s-idbs-ebeing providlitlfy` plurality of sockets for the reception of portions of a lamp supporting device, substantially as described.

iso

2. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a standard projecting from the base and having means providing a line of sight therethrough, said standard being provided adjacent its upper end with a pair of spaced portions having means providing a line of sight intersecting said first line ot' sight, substantially as described.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a. standard projecting from the base and having means providing a line of sight therethrough, said standard being provided with a pair of spaced arms having means providing a line of sight intersecting said first line of sight at a point between said arms and above said standard, substantially as described.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a standard projecting from the base and having means providing a line of sight therethrough, said standard being provided with a pair of spaced arms having means providing a line ofsight intersectin@ said rst line of sight at a. point between said arms and above said standard, said base being provided with means for engagement with a lamp supporting device, substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a standard projecting from the base and having means providinga line of sight therethrough, said standard be.- ing provided with a pair of spaced arms having means providing a line of sight intersecting said first line of sight at a point between said arms and above said standard, said base being provided with sockets for the reception of parts of a lamp supporting device, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a standard projecting from the base and having means providing a line of sight corresponding to the axis of a given lens, said standard also being provided with a pair of spaced portions having means providing a line of sight intersecting said first line of sight, said base having at least three points adapted to be engaged with a lamp supporting device and respectively corresponding to points of said lens, substantially as described.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a base and a standard projecting from the base, and having means providing a line oi sight corresponding to the axis of a given semaphore lens, said standard also being provided with a pair of spaced portions having means providing a line of sight intersecting said first line of sight, said base being provided with at least three spaced portions respectively corresponding to portions of one of the annular grooves of said lens, substantially as described.

8. In combination, a support on which a lamp is adapted to be adjustably mounted, and a device to which said support is applied and having two lines of sight extending at an angle to each other for determining the adjusted position of the lamp with respect to said support, substantially as described.

;Fhis specification signed this 26th day of February, 1920.

SELDEN Gr. WARNER. 

